Software manufacturers are businesses and their prime reason for existence is to make money from selling products.

True.

(Although one would hope that the underlying motivation for creating the software is to be helpful and/or solve a given problem.)

The reason for license activation is NOT so that they have the last say in whether something works, it is to stop software piracy and to protect their revenues.

It does not matter what the reason is, the fact is that they DO make the ultimate decision. The fact is that the byer has to ask for permission AFTER money has changed hands. That is a revolting concept, no matter what the purpose is. The end does not always justify the means.

Revolting concept? Have you ever sold a photo? I'm guessing not because most working photographers I know make clients sign contracts that specify that they do not have the right to scan the photos, make additional copies, crop the watermark, etc.

I believe it is not a good comparison at all. When I buy one of these internet activation pieces of software, I have to ask for permission (or rather the software does it for me - quite invisibly, but it still happens) every time I want to use the software legally. The important word being legally - and yet I still have to ask for permission.

If you want to compare this to the world of photography, then a better comparison (but still not a good one) is the following. Imagine that I have purchased a large print from you, and every time I move this print to a different wall, I have to call you, and you come over to verify that it is actually not a new copy. Apart from the fact that this idea would be quite impractical, how do you think this concept would make me feel, me your legal and loyal customer who is not breaking our agreement at all?

Of course the above mentioned scheme might help you catch copyright inf ringers but don't you agree that you would be bothering a loyal customer and humiliating him with your lack of trust more than can reasonably be expected?

How would you feel if someone stole a photo of yours off the Internet and claimed it as their own?

First of all, you can't steal a photo of the internet, you can only infringe on my copyright.

Second, I probably wouldn't be happy about it, quite angry in fact. But that does not give me the right to abuse all of my legal (!) customers. Your attitude towards customers is "guilty until proven innocent" - our court system wisely relies on the exact opposite standard. Think about it.